MI MI - Eric Franks, 40, Buena Vista Twp, 21 March 2011 - #1

[LisaB]

(SBM)
Can't answer as to why motel owner did what he did.

No idea where his possessions are - again, she says Eric took them that day when she says he left for California.

If he lived there for months, and she was a frequent visitor, the motel owner could have known her, and allowed her to clear his room and check him out before he fell behind on the rent. I doubt she would have KEPT his stuff, but might have given a few items away, or donated the whole lot to a Goodwill or Salvation Army store? I assume it is mostly clothing, books, personal items?

 

[searchingfamily]

About.com is not an official government site. As recently as last month on the anniversary of my Dad's passing in 1970, one of my brothers and one of my sisters drove to Windsor to visit Dad's grave and meet relatives for dinner. Neither of my siblings has a passport: They both have passport cards (aka enhanced driver's license). They visit Windsor regularly as both have remained close with Dad's family and have never encountered difficulty driving to and from Detroit/Windsor.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html

Thanks - didn't have time to look for the gov. site yesterday. But this agrees with what is on the link posted before - even an enhanced driver's license requires an application - and LE would be able to tell if Eric had one and if he used it to cross. They tell us he did not.

 

[searchingfamily]

Hoping Eric contacts someone.

did his ex-gf move shortly after eric was last seen by her?

to what area of the country? State?

Do we know where she is originally from?

sorry if these have been asked/answered

They moved with in six months or so of original contact by PD. Out of the state - let's just say more than 1000 miles.

Believe originally from Saginaw area.

 

[searchingfamily]

I apologize if this has been answered, but what happened to the belongings the egf packed up from Millers?

I get strong sense that foul play was involved here, rather then Eric leaving on his own accord.

Motel owner says eGF took them. eGF says Eric took them.

 

[searchingfamily]

Pretty much anyone could sign the title to the car over to another person, assuming the REAL owner is not around to dispute the transfer. Can you check with CARFAX or something to see if it has a "new owner" based on the VIN? That's how I found out my "only one prior owner" van had been an Enterprise rental vehicle. :banghead:

Can you check with the Michigan MVA and see if the tags have been renewed? Or turned in?

It was an Ohio title and Ohio registration in Eric's mom's name. Plates have no expired. Title transfer in Ohio requires notary. Title office has confirmed title is still valid in her name.

 

[searchingfamily]

XGF may not have allowed a very thorough search of her place, especially since she claimed he'd disappeared from the motel. Would the owner/new tenant be more accomodating? Could they at least get in and check with Luminol for blood?

They still own the home. We keep asking BVPD to conduct a more thorough search of motel room and residence but so far no luck.

 

[Coldpizza]

Was the ex gf's house big? Was it in town or the country? How much property is the house on? Have you talked to the current residents?

 

[searchingfamily]

If he lived there for months, and she was a frequent visitor, the motel owner could have known her, and allowed her to clear his room and check him out before he fell behind on the rent. I doubt she would have KEPT his stuff, but might have given a few items away, or donated the whole lot to a Goodwill or Salvation Army store? I assume it is mostly clothing, books, personal items?

Motel owner did know her and says she frequently visited, usu. for an hour or two. Motel owner says Eric paid in cash a week in advance, then a couple of days later eGF is seen moving his stuff out. He inquires with her, and he says she told him Eric got a job and won't be back. He says she came two days to clear the room. He says she turned in the key. Motel owner was surprised Eric didn't come to say goodbye because they had become friends, and Eric had done some odd jobs for him.

Pawnshops have been checked - not sure abt. charities, though in our experience they don't keep records on donors unless someone wanted a tax receipt.

 

[Coldpizza]

They still own the home. We keep asking BVPD to conduct a more thorough search of motel room and residence but so far no luck.

So they still own the home but chose to move over 1000 miles away? That makes it difficult

 

[searchingfamily]

Was the ex gf's house big? Was it in town or the country? How much property is the house on? Have you talked to the current residents?

No current residents. There are neighbors. BVPD have walked the lot and checked an outbuilding. No house search.

 

[Coldpizza]

No current residents. There are neighbors. BVPD have walked the lot and checked an outbuilding. No house search.

Unbelievable, that house IMO holds some valuable clues. Does the ex have family there?

Does the family have money?

 

[LisaB]

Does he have any other children? He has been married 3 times, and the XGF's child is evidence that he's not infertile (or whatever the right word is for a man). If so, could the mother of another child get information on his SSN by filing a claim for child support? I believe that would prompt a review of his income, a lien on any tax refunds he might be due, etc.

If there have been no reported earnings since March 2011 the search is probably, I am sorry to say, for his remains.

Slightly OT... there was an unidentified male body of approximately the right age, and with full dentures featured on here just a week or so ago. I don't recall where he was found, and while the individual was shown with a short haircut, that may be only an assumption made by the artist. It is also possible Eric had cut his hair shorter. Maybe someone else can find that again. It could be significant.

 

[LisaB]

Someone pointed out earlier that they will give you information on a car you own. Thanks - good point. So we called the Title Office today. They confirmed the title is still active in mom's name, and has not been deactivated, turned into a salvage or abandoned title, etc.

Not sure how it works there, but here in MD we have to pay a registration fee every two years to keep our tags current. Is that a requirement of the state that issued his tags? If so, has the registration been renewed since March of 2011, and if not, is it overdue? If it has been, when did that happen?

 

[LisaB]

and what reason would he have to lie about that? (just pointing that out) whereas the woman who has the changing story (one to family and one to LE) sure had a few different versions of where eric was last seen. eta: she also had six months to make up her story correct? (re: six month before mpr filed and LE involved???)

BBM, re the clearing of the room by someone other than the registered guest, and whether there would be any motivation for the motel manager to lie... I'd think that s/he would HAVE to be telling the truth, since it doesn't portray him/her in the best light since, legally, they probably should have STOPPED her from taking the things. Do you know if she was there all alone, or if she had someone with her? And is it too much to ask that you name the motel? WS members are NOT allowed to "sleuth" the manager, even to find out a name, and that person might not even be working there now. It would at least give us a (geographical) starting point. Can you say what "neighborhood" or area of town the XGF was living in? That would be another good place to start.

 

[andalso]

searching...Do you know if egf or hubby are still driving the same vehicles they had when he went missing or did one or both of them get new vehicles after he went missing?

 

[LisaB]

like i said above.....try to contact motel. They cleaned his room every day

I hate to be negative, but that was a year and a half ago, they had no particular reason to make note of what type of laptop he had, and the room has probably housed dozens of other guests in the interim. I couldn't tell you what computer my DAUGHTER was using 18 months ago, and she lives in my house! I am not sure what the rate of turnover in motel housekeeping staff is. It is possible that whoever cleaned his room has moved on to another position.

 

[LisaB]

Re:
Having a lease that you pay on time can generate good credit, conversely it could be bad credit if you pay late or default.

SBM

I have never had an apartment complex or private landlord make a report to credit bureaus, and I have ALWAYS paid on time. Whenever I moved to a new apartment, the new landlord had to contact the old directly to get information on my payment history. I used to rent my house out and have no clue how I would go about reporting my (perpetually delinquent) tenants (who owed me about $8,000 when they left, including damages) to the credit bureaus. I wish I could, and wish I had known their history before signing a 5 year lease with them.

 

[LisaB]

Searchingfamily, I'm wondering if this ex gf got preggers by accident due to an open relationship she had with her hubby and maybe kept it secret from Eric bc she didn't want to share their child... Is it possible that maybe she didn't expect Eric to move there, but he did, so she got mad? Just wondering if it's possible Eric wanted to be a part of his child's life but the ex gf wasn't prepared for it happening so quickly.

I'm still stuck on why she had to tell Eric about the child, like really she didn't have to...unless she's dying or their child has a debilitating disease such as something in his blood or serious illness. I wonder what the reason would be. Is it possible that the child could have something inherited from his father that maybe his father wasn't aware of even having it himself yet, so a doctor told the ex gf to contact the child's dad? Or at least contact him to obtain med history?

Pure speculation with no malicious intent. :hug:

BBM

If the child needed his blood, or an organ, his disappearance would be a big problem, and XGF would be a lot more cooperative in trying to find him to save the life of their child, KWIM?

 

[nursebeeme]

They still own the home. We keep asking BVPD to conduct a more thorough search of motel room and residence but so far no luck.

geez! How frustrating for all of you.. !

 

[LisaB]

I don't think anyone said she HAD to tell him. She did tell him though. He never said anything about some desperate reason that made her decide to or anything like that.

So to clarify, when you said she "had to" tell him, you did not mean that there was a specific reason making it imperative that she share the information, but "had to" in the sense of "why did you have to eat the last cookie?" Or "You have to tell me what she said about me!"